Bernie and Tulsi stand out as only candidates against war with Iran

Many of the other candidates gave disapproving, but weak statements against Trump's act of war against Iran.
However, Tulsi and Bernie are the only ones who made it clear where they stand.

First, Tulsi.
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"This was very clearly an act of war by this president without any kind of authorization or declaration of war from Congress, clearly violating the Constitution," Gabbard, a Hawaii Democrat who is running for president, said on Fox & Friends. "It further escalates this tit for tat that's going on and on and on [and] will elicit a very serious response from Iran and [push] us deeper and deeper into this quagmire that really begs the question, 'For what?'"

More from Tulsi.

"And where will this decision that this president made to escalate this, these tensions and this crisis, [lead us]?" Gabbard asked.

"It will lead us to an outcome that actually further undermines our national security and needlessly sends more of our troops into harm's way," she said.

"You know, Trump talked a lot in his campaign for the presidency -- and even since he's been in office -- about how he wants to end forever wars, but his actions tell a different story," Gabbard stated.

On the positive side, we can finally leave behind the bullsh*t con that Trump and Republicans have any interest at all in ending the forever wars. We can get back to the familiar political environment of either you support endless pointless wars or you are a terrorist traitor.

Now for Bernie.
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Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News, suggested Friday there's a "decent chance" of that, noting how Sanders' response to President Trump's ordering of a drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani stands out among the top candidates in the Democratic field.

Democratic presidential candidates have been weighing in on Trump's decision, with Sanders describing the strike as an "assassination" and a "dangerous escalation" that "brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars."

Though all of the 2020 Democrats were critical of Trump's decision, BuzzFeed notes that "Sanders took a different tone, one drawn from a wing of the party that has opposed American wars since Vietnam," while most other leading contenders "took more cautious" stands, being sure to begin their statements by condemning Soleimani.

Politico's Holly Otterbein made a similar observation, noting that while former Vice President Joe Biden noted that "no American will mourn Qassem Soleimani's passing" and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called Soleimani a "murderer, responsible for the deaths of thousands," Sanders' statement "does not have such a beginning."

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"Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one," Sanders said during an address to supporters in Anamosa, Iowa.
...
The progressive senator likened the newly heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, of which he's been sharply critical.

"All of that suffering, all of that death, all of that huge expenditure of money, for what? It gives me no pleasure to say today we face a similar crossroads of dangers,” Sanders said.

“When I voted against the war in Iraq in 2002, I feared that it would result in greater destabilization in the country and in the region,” he said. “Today, 17 years later that fear has unfortunately turned out to be a truth.”

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WoodsDweller's picture

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"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

WaterLily's picture

@WoodsDweller Didn't Obama do that?

No, wait ...

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@WaterLily
Speaking of Trump, get this:
killing Iran's #2 commander, Qasem Soleimani, was Trump's way of STOPPING war with Iran.
Kind of like when you punch someone in the nose in order to prevent a fight. if Iran kills an American General there'll really be peace!
Also, America does not seek "regime change" in Iran.
Why would Trump lie about this?

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gripe about Trump, brag about Biden's and Warren's statements.
I asked her how long has she know this Iranian General was a bad man? And asked her if he was more effective fighting ISIS and Al-Quieda than our fabulous Generals? She didn't have an answer, but was positive people that didn't vote for Hillary are to blame for this.
And then we spoke about the weather, and some particular time lines for foreclosures and evictions, maybe who was running a good sale on shoes.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

the Constitution. I tend to think Tulsi is right about that.

And now I look forward to seeing her follow up by proposing an additional article of impeachment to include this latest lawless action. It would be an obvious follow-up question for any reasonably alert reporter, then I noticed this was an interview on Fox & Friends.

Waiting on Tulsi for the obvious next step, but until then, this was a pretty good statement.

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Wally's picture

@wokkamile

Do you really think it's the least bit realistic to expect them to take away what they already gave Trump? Gee, I wonder how Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer will respond?

Better to try to stop the madness by focusing on the primaries and supporting the only anti-war candidate with any chance at all of winning before it's too farking late.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jgJJrwZ-FE&t=0s]

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CB's picture

@Wally
actions as another cause for impeachment?

Nah...... She just calls for a briefing. Pelosi is just miffed because Trump has not kept her in the loop like Dubya did.

Pelosi Statement on Airstrike in Iraq Against High-Level Iranian Military Officials

January 2, 2020
Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after the Trump Administration conducted a deadly airstrike targeting Iranians and Iraqis at the Baghdad International Airport:

“American leaders’ highest priority is to protect American lives and interests. But we cannot put the lives of American servicemembers, diplomats and others further at risk by engaging in provocative and disproportionate actions. Tonight’s airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America – and the world – cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return.

“The Administration has conducted tonight’s strikes in Iraq targeting high-level Iranian military officials and killing Iranian Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani without an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iran. Further, this action was taken without the consultation of the Congress.

“The full Congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the Administration, including the significant escalation of the deployment of additional troops to the region.”

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@Wally @Wally (see above post) seems to disagree with you on the legality, though she dances around the point a bit.

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Wally's picture

@wokkamile

. . . being the least bit critical of the use of miitary force.

Thing is the Dem elite wants to have it every which way. It was okay when Obama did it but now that Trump is doing it, it's somehow illegal even though they gave Trump power over and above what Obama had.

Too much craziness. It should be becoming clearer and clearer: Bernie or Dust.

Edit/add:

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Pluto's Republic's picture

...that can or will be enforced. The Senators are either ignorant and cannot learn from experience — or they are gaslighting the Left for votes and funding, as usual. The worthless constitution has not stopped any of our heinous foreign wars, especially those that execute Israel's foreign policy.

That's the danger of a population that worships an obsolete incomplete slave-owners constitution written on the ass of a sheep with a feather pen, that nobody knows how to read. Oh, wait... the Citizens United judges will tell us what it really means.

"This was very clearly an act of war by this president without any kind of authorization or declaration of war from Congress, clearly violating the Constitution," said Gabbard.

Sad. She's high on dupe.

This is a war-profiteer operation. There is no other cause. Those profits come out of the pockets of the American people. Resistance is a felony. They will have nothing to show for it but growing dystopian desperation. The US constitution has worked absolutely perfectly to bring all of us to this point in time: both the 1 percent and the disposable, throw-away people. You only need to read the flimsy thing and compare it to a modern constitution to see how the American people got shafted, lost their generational sovereignty, and ended up with revokable rights.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
PriceRip's picture

 

 

In order to get elected, @BarackObama Donald Trump will start a war with Iran.

29 November 2011 3 January 2020

RIP

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But killing a regular soldier or officer is not.

This was a really dumb strategic move by Iran. They put their best general in harm's way. Under the AUMF, the US military has had the approval of Congress to take whatever military action it deems necessary in Iraq since the Iraq war began. Iran gave the US military carte blanch to take out it's best general.

Sometimes countries and movements are really taken down by the removal of their leader. (Think of MLK and the Civil Rights movement -- never the same after his death). And this assassination may well put a huge damper on Iran's influence in the Middle East for awhile. If you are Putin, you have to think that putting this general's life in such jeopardy was a really dumb move. And maybe Jinping is thinking the same thing. Who wants to be allies with stupid?

If this guy was the general people are saying he was, his replacement is not likely to be anywhere nearly as good as he was. Iran may be playing the long game, but it may not be nearly as effective going forward.

Did I think Trump called the shots on this? Not at all. This was a Bay of Pigs move by the military/CIA that I think would have occurred without his consent. Maybe Trump considered what happened to JFK when JFK added some restrictions to the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Before Iran can ramp up any more shit, it will have to do some serious regrouping. I am not convinced this means war at all. But I could be absolutely wrong.

I just wish we would get out of the middle east, as I am as anti-war as it gets, but I have long lost any illusions that any of our civilian leaders can control our military/deep state.

As somebody else here put it eloquently, that is not how our chain of command works.

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@davidgmillsatty
fear mongering
plain and simple
bomb a general
stick a sword up a dictator
detain and torture a whistle blower
black sights, black budgets
pepper gas protestors
what is the establishment trying to protect
our right to question authority

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@QMS One man's concept of war may be another man's concept of the use of military force.

Similar to one man's concept of soldier is another man's concept of an enemy combatant.

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mimi's picture

@davidgmillsatty
an asymmetrical war.
I really like a precise definition.
Thanks.
My sister asked me this and I could not answer the question.

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CB's picture

@mimi

An asymmetric war is one between two belligerents that are grossly mismatched in military power.

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ggersh's picture

https://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/

“Four sorrows are certain to be visited on the United States.

First, there will be a state of perpetual war.
Second is a loss of democracy and Constitutional rights as the presidency eclipses Congress and is itself transformed from a co-equal ‘executive branch’ of government into a military junta.
Third is the replacement of truth by propaganda, disinformation, and the glorification of war, power, and the military legions.
Lastly, there is bankruptcy, as the United States pours its economic resources into ever more grandiose military projects and shortchanges the education, health, and safety of its citizens.”

Chalmers Johnson, The Sorrows of Empire, 2005

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

CB's picture

@ggersh

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@CB

Our national news sources are a constant blast of lies, propaganda, and completely false narratives.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

@Pluto's Republic
All that is left is to declare bankruptcy.
Everything else about stage four is true right now.

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CB's picture

@Pluto's Republic
That was what I meant. Getting tired. Almost 3/4 of a century old. I'm not as spry, mentally as well as physically. Some days I figure it is time to be put down.

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@CB You might have a couple years on me but not many. They shoot horses don't they?

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@davidgmillsatty

Sheesh.

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato
mimi's picture

@Pluto's Republic
Postkarten_mit_Tieren_48879_0.jpg
Don't believe everything you think.

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@Pluto's Republic My kids were born in 80 and 84.

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CB's picture

@davidgmillsatty

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@CB But I started the kid thing a bit later than most.

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CB's picture

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